Hello,

As a novice user interested in MorphOS and software development on this platform, I've bought a MacMini, installed MOS without problems and then upgraded RAM from 512MB to 1GB. After the upgrade, everything seems to work fine except my WiFi network connection.
Namely, the network controller is recognised, it can detect surrounding networks and can eventually connect. While connecting it looks kind of buggy (I've noticed red and yellow lights in the network manager before it turns to green), and when it is connected it works extremely slow.
Now, what I'd like to ask is if someone has a clue what might be happening, and is there a way for me to: (a) use usb wifi adapter (it's not working out of the box) and (b) see the system logs to investigate this further.

Thanks!

[ Edited by kiza_nbg 16.07.2020 - 14:56 ]

> is there a way for me to [...] use usb wifi adapter

Unfortunately not, there's no driver.

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But I heard somebody used a small wireless router connected to Ethernet port instead.

@kiza_nbg:

Before the RAM upgrade WiFi worked OK? Maybe the AirPort antenna got somewhat loose during the swap?

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I've tried to figure that one out but I can't see that something is different than it was before. Contacts look OK but I am by no means experienced in hardware and electronics. However, I agree that some kind of hardware failure might be the most probable cause. Btw, is there some kind of syslog to be investigated?

Thank you for such a quick replies! It's really appreciated.

[ Edited by kiza_nbg 16.07.2020 - 18:47 ]

> I heard somebody used a small wireless router connected
> to Ethernet port instead.

Indeed, I'm using such device (again, after the switch from Mac mini with AirPort to PowerMac G5 without AirPort).

I would check the actual wifi reception before starting to buy new stuff. If you've got an Android phone, you could try Wifi Analyser or similar and make sure the airwaves aren't crowded out.

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Welcome to MorphOS world, first there are Mac Mini with Airport and others not, when ot was manufactured, for example my first MacMini has 512MB and airport but my the current Mac more older than first has 1GB but it hasn't airport this little board is inside of the Mac, but is is easy to see, the antenna is connect to right side and it is a little square with two wires connected to airpot board under the DVD drive.
Also other problem because we use very old hardware is the use and the hours working for this hardware and you airport doesn't work for it.
To facilitate the MorphOs experience you the Chrisaly pack to install all free software and the site where find this and other software and games:
https://www.morphos-storage.net/

[ Editado por Templario 17.07.2020 - 11:32 ]

Thanks again for kind replies and help. Just to post the follow-up in case someone experiences similar problems. Once I concluded that hardware is operational, I have tried to experiment with wi-fi analysers and different router settings, as suggested, and for now it seems that channel 6 is the best option for relatively steady wifi connection. It's still slow and erroneus, as you can see, but at least it is usable and relatively consistent

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It's quite commonly known, that wifi on MorphOS isn't that good in all conditions. It can be fine on uncrowded channels, but it's easily affected by other traffic. And channels below 10 are probably the best for older Mac hardware... if you absolutely need a wifi connection, external solutions are the safest bet.

I've never liked 5 GHz wifi that much, mainly because it never succeeded in its promise of offering more channels as many chipsets are crap and only work with channel 38, which undermines the whole point of having far more channels. It also doesn't seem to have the distance, nor even quite the speed in clear airwaves.

But boy, is 5Ghz ever less likely to get interference. Bluetooth, wireless audio (like some headphones), and wireless video senders can all totally wreck a 2.4 GHz signal. And even where that isn't true, there's only 12 channels so chances are someone's else is sitting on yours - probably at least three. If they're dual band, then they're probably straddling 3 channels at once.

With 2.4GHz wifi, you're at the mercy of not just your neighbours, but also your own stuff. In city blocks, using 2.4GHz can be almost impossible. And because interference depends on how much is being transmitted, that interference can depend on whether your neighbours are busy downloading from Steam or streaming Netflix.

Unfortunately, only way to get 5GHz on any hardware currently supported by MorphOS, and on MorphOS, is via an ethernet-wifi bridge. And support for it is still crap and may never get better.

@kiza_nbg

Hi,

I too use a small, cheap wi-fi bridge/repeater and plug into the ethernet port on my A1-XE.

Although its a 2.4GHz signal, it works well.

I also use two of these devices to repeat the signal from my house to my computer room (an old static caravan) around 50 metres away and thence via a hub to several computers over ethernet plus my Powermac G4 and Mac Mini via wi-fi

I too ran into some stability issues with my 1.5ghz mini and wifi. I had an older mini handy running OSX and I decided to just use it as a bridge for all of my older machines. I use a netgear switch for wired connections and also open internet sharing. It works well for me. Though probably not the most practical solution for you- I figured that I'd share.

After all this valuable feedback, it's clear that the best way for me is to get the wifi-ethernet bridge. Thank you all for your time and help, it's really a pleasure to see such a welcoming community.

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Care to elaborate?

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And only three non overlapping channels (1, 6 and 11).